Major fire breaks out in Chandigarh's Sector 22 mobile market
What's the story
A major fire broke out in Chandigarh's Sector 22 mobile market on Wednesday afternoon. The fire, which started from a first-floor shop named "Ad's Mobile," quickly spread to neighboring stores, fire department officials said. No casualties have been reported so far, but the blaze has caused extensive property damage and is still raging.
Emergency response
Fire rages on, no casualties reported
The fire department rushed five fire tenders to the scene, but firefighters are struggling to control the blaze due to dense smoke and volatile materials stored in the shops. The fire was fueled by the presence of AC compressors, lithium-ion batteries, and various combustible chemicals stored in the shops. The Sector 22 market, located opposite the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Sector 17, is one of Chandigarh's oldest and busiest retail hubs with over 100 mobile phone and accessory shops.
Safety issues
Fire safety concerns in older planned markets
The incident has once again brought to light the long-standing fire safety concerns in Chandigarh's older planned markets. These markets often have high-density storage that exceeds the capacity of existing firefighting infrastructure. Encroachments and illegal hoardings also block access for fire tenders, while haphazard parking near ISBT-17 causes traffic congestion, delaying emergency response.
Past incidents
Similar incident last year
This isn't the first time a fire has broken out in the Sector 22 market. In April 2025, a fire broke out on the first floor of a showroom complex housing medical supplies and offices. No injuries were reported, but employees were trapped on upper floors and had to be rescued using ladders after breaking windowpanes to escape thick smoke.
Past incidents
Previous fire incidents in Sector 22 market
Then in September 2019, a late-night fire erupted in a multi-storeyed building (SCO 1072) opposite the ISBT. It started on the first floor, where toys and garments were sold, and spread to the second floor. Firefighters had to break through illegal iron hoardings and encroachments to access the building. In June 2018, a fire gutted the basement of a toy shop in the early hours.